Design and Implementation of a Low-Cost Air Quality Monitoring System through Sensor Networks in Pamplona, Colombia

Abstract

In recent decades, industrial and urban growth has driven growing concern about air quality and its adverse impact on human health and ecosystems. In the absence of measurement stations in the city of Pamplona, ​​Norte de Santander, a low-cost monitoring system was designed and implemented for the quantification of particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO) and tropospheric ozone (O3). The system architecture was made up of three strategically located fixed stations, which were interconnected through a point-to-point link centralized in a local server. This infrastructure enabled real-time data storage, processing and validation to inform air quality indices. The methodology followed a descriptive quantitative approach with correlational analysis, using PMS5003 laser light scattering sensors and meteorological stations for spatial and temporal validation of contaminants. The results demonstrated the viability of the system to identify concentrations that exceeded permitted limits, providing critical data for environmental management and public health in alignment with UN Sustainable Development Goals 11 and 13. The deployment of the telematics network and the developed software provided an effective tool for decision-making and territorial planning in the region.